Video: Wayne County considering a roundabout at Friendsville and SmithvilleWestern intersection

Roundabout considered at Friendsville and Smithville-Western intersection

By BOBBY WARREN Staff WriterPublished: April 5, 2013 4:00AM

WOOSTER -- City officials gave the nod to constructing a roundabout at Burbank and Smithville-Western roads, and now the county engineer is pondering one just a block away -- at Friendsville Road and Smithville-Western.

Engineer Roger Terrill and the Wayne County commissioners were among those at a presentation by Ohio Department of Transportation District 3 traffic engineer Julie Cichello. It was the same presentation Wooster City Council heard in February.

Richland Engineering conducted a safety study along 9.65 miles of Friendsville Road from the city limits on the north to the Medina County line. There were 129 crashes along the stretch of roadway from January 2007-June 2012; 56 of them resulted in injuries and four in fatalities.

ODOT has had success over the past couple of years looking at crash results in conjunction with geographic information system data and focusing on areas where there are a disproportionate number of wrecks on rural roads, said Mark Spademan, a deputy engineer with Wayne County.

Based on Richland Engineering's study, any improvements to Friendsville Road would qualify for federal safety funding. The study also showed for the first time a traffic signal or roundabout would be warranted at the intersection of Friendsville and Smithville-Western roads, Spademan said.

A common misconception is a traffic signal is safer than a roundabout, Cichello indicated. In surveys, roundabouts initially rate high in negative reactions, however, after they are installed, people like them better.

Commissioner Ann Obrecht had some experience with the older-style rotaries and traffic circles in larger cities and said she was surprised roundabouts are safer.

Part of the reason is because these "modern roundabouts" are designed for traffic to slow down to 20-25 mph and have a tighter turning radius, Cichello said, they are nothing like the old, larger traffic circles and rotaries.

Wooster Engineer Roger Kobilarcsik attended the presentation and initially was against having a roundabout at the intersection of state Route 83 and Smithville-Western Road, but after attending a federal presentation he was impressed with how they reduced the number of serious crashes.

While there are no roundabouts in District 3 yet, two are planned in Medina County and one in Wooster.

A modern roundabout reduces the number of "conflict points" in traditional intersections. A typical four-way intersection has 32 of these points and a one-lane roundabout has only eight.

Commissioner Jim Carmichael said he has seen a lot of them in Central Florida.

"They take away all of the decision-making," Cichello said. Drivers come in, slow down, yield to traffic in the roundabout and enter on the right.

Studies have shown there is an 89 percent reduction in fatalities in roundabouts because they "take away all of those crossing movements," Cichello said.

While some believe that placing a traffic signal is the solution, Cichello said there were more crashes at Burbank and Riffel roads (20) than at Burbank and Smithville-Western roads (18).

With the reduction of not only the number of crashes but also the severity of them, Commissioner Scott Wiggam said roundabouts will likely lead to saving time and money on safety service personnel.

While Terrill said he is leaning toward a roundabout at Friendsville and Smithville-Western roads intersection, he wants to hear some feedback from the public.

The Richland Engineering study also showed work needed to be done at Friendsville and West Salem roads intersection. It will not be as extensive, Terrill said. It does not warrant a traffic signal or roundabout.

The county probably will look at extending road striping on the road edges, upgrading stop signs and adding signs indicating stops are ahead along Friendsville, Spademan said.

Those wanting to offer feedback can contact the Engineer's Office at 330-287-5500.

Reporter Bobby Warren can be reached at 330-287-1639 or bwarren@the-daily-record.com. He is @BobbyWarrenTDR on Twitter.

Want to leave your comments?

431 if you are currently a paramedic you would know that there have been several fatalities at that intersection. One horrific one within the last year or so. Reduction is speed would do little. And that fact that it is in Wayne Township has nothing to do with it.

giscott87

April 5, 2013 8:48PM

Friendsville Rd & Smithville-Western Rd is not in the city limits so the county engineer will handle that one, but Burbank & Smithville-Western is just inside the city limits so the cities engineer will handle that one. And the article mentions that the accidents happened along the 9.65 miles on Friendsville Rd from Smithville-Western Rd leading up to the Medina Co. Line not at the intersection.

anonymous_4341

April 5, 2013 5:54PM

As a paramedic that has responded to accidents at this intersection for 20+ years, I wonder where they are getting their statistics that say there have been a high number of serious injuries from accidents at this intersection. Yes there are accidents, and yes it is a pain in the rear to get across the intersection at times, but I don't recall many serious accidents. This intersection isn't even inside the Wooster City limits. It's in Wayne Township. I think a reduction in speed is the first answer before we spend lots of tax dollars for a more expensive solution.

justanobserver

April 5, 2013 10:10AM

I can understand a roundabout at an intersection in an area where the speed limit is 35 but I believe it is a mistake to drop one in the middle of a 55 mph zone. Why not just lower the speed limit through that section to begin with?